Critics of the measure, though, argue that current rules already protect defendants against unreliable testimony and that eliminating such accomplice or informant testimony could tie prosecutors' hands.

We consider the quality of the information, the nature of the offence it relates to, the likelihood of the informant being used in the future, the current state of the investigation and the effect of the offence on society," he said.

The refusal met with calls from Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood for the force to be more open to scrutiny over the informant rewards, to prevent crooks exploiting the system to rake large sums of taxpayers' cash.

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